For mobile terminals such as mobile phones, for example, input apparatuses allowing users to operate the terminals have been developed in a variety of manners according to functions and usages of each of the terminals. In general, the input apparatuses are configured such that a user performs an input operation by directly pressing down mechanical keys or buttons, prearranged on a surface of a body of the mobile terminal, with a finger or the like.
Such mechanical keys (for example, a numerical keypad) of the input apparatus of the terminal are normally prearranged to suit a main usage of the terminal. Accordingly, physical arrangement of such keys cannot generally be changed afterward.
Incidentally, a variety of functions are incorporated in small mobile terminals, such as a digital camera function and a music player function incorporated in small mobile terminals. While the mobile phones have numerous supplementary functions incorporated therein in addition to a function for a main usage of the terminal, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant: mobile information terminal), as single terminals, have a plurality of main usages such as schedule management, an address book and the like. If the keys of such terminals are fixedly arranged, it may inconvenience users significantly in input operation using some functions.
In order to resolve such inconvenience, there is disclosed an input apparatus having a touch panel constituted of a transparent input unit arranged on top of a liquid crystal display, which is a display unit (for example, see Patent Document 1). The input apparatus having such a touch panel generally displays graphical images of operation keys or buttons and letter(s) or a string of letters for allowing inputs (hereinafter, referred to as “objects”) on a display screen of the touch panel. When a user presses the object displayed on the display screen, an input unit at a corresponding position on the touch panel receives the input.
A mobile phone described in the above Patent Document 1 allows free arrangement of the keys and can display objects arranged in a desired manner on the display screen of the touch panel in order to receive the input operation by the user. Accordingly, this mobile phone may provide an excellent operability by changing the arrangement of the objects as desired to suit the functions when each function of the terminal is selected. For example, when the user uses the digital camera function incorporated in the mobile phone, the mobile phone may display objects constituting an operation unit of a digital camera on the touch panel to receive an input operation. Moreover, when the user inputs characters in messages with the mobile phone, the mobile phone may display an object constituting a keyboard similar to that of a personal computer (PC) on the touch panel to receive inputs. In this way, having the touch panel, this mobile phone can optimize a single input apparatus to suit each of a plurality of functions and receive the input operation.
In addition, since the input apparatus having the touch panel receives an input in the form of a user's direct contact (touch) with a fingertip to the object displayed on the display unit, the user can operate it highly intuitively. That is, the user operates the input apparatus by directly touching the object displayed on the screen with a fingertip or the like, following guidance displayed on the screen of the touch panel. Accordingly, the user can operate the terminal extremely easily by an intuitive operation, following the guidance displayed on the screen, which offers an effect to reduce erroneous operations as a result.
As described above, since the touch panel enhances configuration flexibility of the input unit and advantageously allows the user to highly instinctively perform the input operation, the number of the terminal apparatuses having the input apparatuses with the touch panels has been increased.
The input apparatuses having the touch panels as described above are commonly used for not only the mobile terminals but also, for example, ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) of banks and ticket vending machines at train stations or the like. Moreover, in shops such as fast-food shops, a terminal apparatus with the input apparatus having the touch panel as stated above is used by a clerk to process orders from customers. Application of the touch panel to the input apparatus eliminates the necessity for the mechanical buttons or keys such as the keyboard. Accordingly, since only a small area on the body of the terminal apparatus is required to arrange mechanical buttons and the like thereon, it enables downsizing of overall terminal apparatus. It thus enhances flexibility in selection of spots for installing the terminal apparatuses in the shops and the train stations.
In addition, the input operations to a personal computer (PC) can be also performed through a display unit having a touch panel. In general, the input operations to the PC differ between application programs used (hereinafter, referred to as an “application”, simply). With recent development of GUI (Graphical User Interface), however, many of those applications are contrived to allow for instinctive operations. In addition, by a demand for instinctive operation, there are many common operations of files or folders performed on a desktop displayed on the display unit even between different applications. Accordingly, while the input operations to the PC used to be performed mainly with input devices, such as a key board and a mouse, a user can highly instinctively perform such input operations using the display unit with the touch panel (for example, Patent Document 2).
FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a data transfer system which includes an information processing apparatus described in Patent Document 2. In FIG. 12, a data transfer system 100 includes a data storage and playback apparatus 110 and a portable data storage and playback apparatus (portable storage and playback apparatus) 120. The data storage and playback apparatus 110 has a function to store and to play data (for example, music data), and the portable storage and playback apparatus 120 also has the function to store and to play music data. The data storage and playback apparatus 110 and the portable storage and playback apparatus 120 are communicably coupled to each other via a communication cable 130.
The data storage and playback apparatus 110 can store music data ripped from a CD or downloaded from a music distribution server (not shown) via a network NT. By performing operation on a display unit 140 with the touch panel, the user can transfer the music data stored in the data storage and playback apparatus 110 to the portable storage and playback apparatus 120. Accordingly, the portable storage and playback apparatus 120 can play the music data even after disconnected from the communication cable 130, as it stores the music data transferred.
FIG. 13 shows diagrams schematically illustrating that a user operates a folder on the display unit 140 with the touch panel of the data storage and playback apparatus 110. As shown in FIG. 13(A), the display unit 140 with the touch panel displays objects (icons) A100 and A200 for activating applications. By directly contacting (touching) these icons with a fingertip or the like, the user activates corresponding applications. Such an activation operation may be performed by a quick two-time touching (two touches) to an icon on the display unit 140 with the touch panel, which corresponds to double click with an input device such as the mouse. Alternatively, the operation may be performed by a one-time touching (one touch) to the icons on the display unit 140 with the touch panel, which corresponds to a single click with the input device such as the mouse.
In addition, on the display unit 140 with the touch panel, an icon F100 and an icon F200, representing a folder A and a folder B, respectively, are displayed. These folders A, B can include a plurality of files and/or subfolders in each of them in conformity with a conventional hierarchical directory structure. To the folder A or the folder B, the user can operate in a manner corresponding to conventional folder operation methods used for conventional PCs.
For example, in response to the two-touch (or one-touch) to the icon F100 representing the folder A by the user, the data storage and playback apparatus 110 can display the files included in the folder A (hereinafter, referred to as to “open” a folder), as shown in FIG. 13(B). FIG. 13(B) shows an example that filenames of four files included in the folder A are displayed in a folder window as the folder A is opened. If the folder A includes a subfolder, the data storage and playback apparatus 110, in response to the two-touch (or one-touch) to the subfolder by the user, can display a file and/or another subfolder included in the subfolder (such an operation is also referred to as to “open” the folder, hereinafter). In FIG. 13(B), the folder window is displayed showing the files included in the folder A.
In using an input apparatus such as the display unit 140 with the touch panel of the data storage and playback apparatus 110, the user must touch an object (icon) for a closing operation in order to close the folder window showing files included in a folder. In the example shown in FIG. 13(B), the user can close the folder window (hereinafter, referred to as to “close” the folder) by touching a cross mark icon displayed at upper right of the folder window. In addition, when a file or the like included in a folder is displayed, in order to move to one higher level in a hierarchical directory structure (such an operation also is referred to as to “close” the folder, hereinafter), a user must touch an icon of “return”, for example.
Such an icon the user must touch to close a folder is generally located at a different position from the icon for the operation to display a file or the like included in the folder. Therefore, in order to perform the touch operation to close a folder, the user must touch a position remote from a position the user has touched to open the folder at times, which may be cumbersome.
However, if the icon to be touched to close the folder is displayed close to the icon for opening the folder in order to solve the above problem, for example, it may incur an erroneous operation by the user closing the folder despite his/her intention to open it.
It is considered that, in the folder operation using a large touch panel, such an erroneous operation as described above can be reduced by avoiding displaying the icon for opening the folder and the icon for closing the folder close to one another. In this case, however, the user must move largely in the folder operation, which is burdensome or stressful for the user. In contrast, for the folder operation with a small touch panel such as the mobile terminal, the icon for opening and the icon for closing the folder have to be displayed relatively close to one another due to a limitation of a dimension of the touch panel. In this case, therefore, there is a large possibility of the erroneous operation described above.
In order to address the above problem, an input apparatus as follows can be considered to allow for a simple, quick and reliable folder operation. The following is a description of a mobile phone having an input apparatus disclosed in a patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-17322), filed by the applicant in Japan.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a mobile phone 10 having an input apparatus capable of performing the folder operation in a simple, quick and reliable manner. The mobile phone 10 has a display unit 32 on the front side of a terminal body as shown by a notch, for displaying a variety of information and graphical images of keys, buttons and the like arranged on a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic EL display or the like. The mobile phone 10 also has an input unit 34 constituted of a matrix switch or the like for receiving an input by a user with the finger or a stylus on the front surface of the display unit 32. A touch panel 30 of the mobile phone 10 includes the display unit 32 and the input unit 34. The mobile phone 10 further includes an audio input unit 70 constituted of a microphone or the like, an audio output unit 80 constituted of a speaker or the like, and a key input unit 90 constituted of at least one mechanical key.
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a schematic internal configuration of the mobile phone 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile phone 10 has a control unit 20, the touch panel 30, a load detection unit 40, a vibration unit 50, a memory unit 60, the audio input unit 70, the audio output unit 80 and the key input unit 90. The control unit 20 controls and manages an overall mobile terminal 10 including each functional block thereof. As stated above, the touch panel 30 has the input unit 34 for receiving inputs by the user, arranged on the front side of the display unit 32 in an overlapping manner. In this way, the touch panel 30 receives the input operation by the user as well as displaying a variety of information such as a result of the input according to each application.
The input unit 34 of the touch panel 30, upon detection (reception) of the input by a touch (pressure) of a user's finger or a stylus, outputs a signal corresponding a position where the input by the touch is detected. The touch panel 30 may be of a known type such as resistive type, capacitive type or the like, for example. The display unit 32 performs display corresponding to each application, as well as displaying in a predetermined display area the graphical image of the user interface composed of various keys and buttons for receiving the input operation to the input unit 34 by the user. The display unit 32 also displays icons of folders and files described below. In the present application, hereinafter, the graphical images of various keys, buttons, icons of folders and files and the likes displayed on the display unit 32 for receiving the input operation to the input unit 34 of the touch panel 30 by the user are simply referred to as “objects.”
The load detection unit 40 may be a strain gauge sensor, for example, and detects a pressure load on the touch panel 30 (especially on the input unit 34). The vibration unit 50 may be, for example, a piezoelectric transducer or an ultrasonic transducer and vibrates the touch panel 30. A constitutional relationship among the load detection unit 40, the vibration until 50 and the touch panel 30 will be described below.
The memory unit 60 stores various applications and input information, as well as serving as a work memory. In addition, the memory unit 60 also stores a plurality of templates including various objects used according to each application.
The audio input unit 70 converts user's voice and the like into input signals and provides them to the control unit 20. The audio output unit 80 converts the voice signals provided from the control unit 20 into voice and outputs it. The key input unit 90 sends a corresponding signal to the control unit 20 in response to the input operation by the user. Uses and functions of the variety of keys constituting the key input unit 90 are defined according to an application to be used.
Next, the constitutional relationship among the load detection unit 40, the vibration unit 50 and the touch panel 30 will be described.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of mounting structure of the touch panel 30, the load detection unit 40 and the vibration unit 50 of the mobile phone 10 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3(A) is a cross-sectional view of a main section, whereas FIG. 3(B) is a plain view of the main section.
The display unit 32 for displaying various objects on the touch panel 30 is contained in a housing 12. In the input apparatus of the mobile phone 10, the input unit 34 is supported on the display unit 32 via insulators 36 made of an elastic member. The display unit 32 and the input unit 34 of the input apparatus are rectangular in a planar view. Although the touch panel 30 is square in FIG. 3, the touch panel 30 may be oblong to suite a specification of the mobile terminal mounting the touch panel 30. In this input apparatus, the input unit 34 is supported on the display unit 32 via the insulators 36 arranged at four corners outside a display area A of the display unit 32 indicated by virtual lines in FIG. 3(B).
In addition, the housing 12 of the input apparatus is provided with an upper cover 14 for covering a surface area of the input unit 34 outside the display area of the display unit 32. Insulators 16 made of elastic members are arranged between the upper cover 14 and the input unit 34.
The input unit 34 has a front face, that is, a plane for receiving input operations formed of a transparent film, and a rear face formed of a glass. The input unit 34 may be designed such that when the operation face is pressed down, the transparent film on the front face is bent (strained) slightly in accordance with the pressure.
In addition, in this input apparatus, the strain gauge sensor for detecting the pressure load (pressure) applied on the input unit 34 is provided, being adhered or the like, on the transparent film of the front face of the input unit 34 near each side covered by the upper cover 14. Moreover, in the input apparatus, a piezoelectric element or an ultrasound transducer for vibrating the input unit 34 is provided, being adhered or the like, on the glass of the rear side of the input unit 34 near each of two opposed sides. That is, in the input apparatus shown in FIG. 3, the load detection unit 40 and the vibration unit 50 shown in FIG. 2 employ four strain gauge sensors and two transducers, respectively. By generating vibration, the vibration unit 50 can supply the vibration to a pressing object, such as the user's finger or the stylus pressing the input unit 34. Additionally, the vibration unit 50 drives, for example, two ultrasound transducers in phase. It is to be noted that the housing 12, the upper cover 14 and the insulator 16 shown in FIG. 3(A) are omitted in FIG. 3(B).
In this input apparatus, the control unit 20 monitors a location of an input detected by the input unit 34 and a pressure load detected by the load detection unit 40. The control unit 20 can determine whether the pressure load detected by the load detection unit 40 satisfies a predetermined load standard (standard value). The load detection unit 40 detects the load from, for example, an average output value of the four strain gauge sensors.
Here, the “predetermined load standard” is a standard of the pressure load detected by the load detection unit 40 in performing an opening processing or a closing processing of the folder, which will be described below. The predetermined load standard may be set at the time of initial setting of the mobile phone 10 or by changing the setting by the user. The load detection unit 40 is also capable of detecting a pressure load on the input unit 34 changing from a state not satisfying the predetermined load standard to a state satisfying it, by monitoring a temporal change in the pressure load. Similarly, by monitoring the temporal change in the pressure load, the load detection unit 40 can detect a pressure load on the input unit 34 changing from the state satisfying the predetermined load standard to the state not satisfying it.
Next, the opening operation and the closing operation of the folder carried out by the input apparatus of the mobile phone 10 will be described. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the opening operation and the closing operation of the folder by the input apparatus. This input apparatus uses folders in conformity with a concept of the hierarchical directory structure widely used by basic software, such as conventional operating systems (OS). Accordingly, each folder used by this input apparatus can include a plurality of files and/or subfolders.
In the present application, it is referred to as to “open” a folder/file to display contents (objects) of files and/or subfolders included in a folder in order to show the contents of the folder to the user. For example, if a folder A shown in FIG. 4(A) includes a folder B, a folder C, a file a and a file b, contents of the folder A are displayed as shown in FIG. 4(B) when the folder A is opened. In addition, if the folder B shown in FIG. 4(B) includes a folder D and a file c, contents of the folder B are displayed as shown in FIG. 4(C) when the folder B is opened.
In the present application, further, it is referred to as to “close” a folder to return to hide contents thereof from a state of the folder opened showing the contents. For example, although contents of the folder B (the folder D and the file c) are displayed in FIG. 4(C), the display is changed to FIG. 4(B) when the folder B is closed. In addition, although the contents of the folder A (the folder B, the folder C, the file a and the file b) are displayed in FIG. 4(B), for example, the display is changed to FIG. 4(A) when the folder A is closed.
Next, detection of the pressure load on the touch panel 30 of the mobile phone 10 will be described.
The mobile phone 10 can display objects of folders arranged in the hierarchical structure as shown in FIG. 4 on the display unit 32 of the touch panel 30. At this time, the input unit 34 of the touch panel 30 receives a pressing input to the display unit 32 by a user's fingertip or a stylus. In response to the pressing input to the input unit 34, the load detection unit 40 detects the pressure load on the input unit 34.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the pressure load on the input unit 34 by the user's finger or the stylus detected by the load detection unit 40. FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an example of temporal change in the pressure load detected by the load detection unit 40 when the user performs the input operation by pressing the input unit 34 of the touch panel 30. In performing operation (pressing input) to press the input unit 34 of the touch panel 30, the user generally continues to increase the pressure on the input unit 34 (that is, presses the input unit 34 down) after touching the input unit 34 until determining that the input is received. In addition, upon determination that the input is received, the user reduces the pressure on the input unit 34 (that is, removes the finger or the like from the input unit 34). Accordingly, as represented by a curved line shown in FIG. 5, the pressure load detected by the load detection unit 40 is first increased upward to the right and then reduced downward to the right with time passing from the left to the right.
In performing a normal input operation to the input unit 34 by the user, the pressing input has the normal pressure. Therefore, the load detection unit 40 detects the pressure load varying via A1 and A2 shown in FIG. 5, for example. When a user performs a pressing input with the pressure higher than that of the normal input operation to the input unit 34, the pressing input with the pressure higher than the normal pressure is performed intentionally, and thus the load detection unit 40 detects the pressure load varying via B1 and B2 shown in FIG. 5, for example.
As described above, the mobile phone 10, by using the load detection unit 40, can distinctively detect a load standard (P1 in FIG. 5, for example) for the normal input operation with a normal pressure and a load standard (for example, P2) for the input operation with a pressure higher than that of the normal input operation. In addition, setting the load standard such as P1 shown in FIG. 5, for example, allows for distinction between the pressing input changing from the state not satisfying the load standard to the state satisfying it (A1 shown in FIG. 5) and the pressing input changing from the state satisfying the load standard to the state not satisfying it (A2 shown in FIG. 5). Accordingly, the mobile phone 10 can distinguish these two inputs and assign respective processing or operations thereto.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the opening processing and the closing processing of the folder by the input apparatus of the mobile phone 10. For this input apparatus, a first load standard and a second load standard are set as pressure load standards for the opening operation and the closing operation of the folder. Here, the second load standard is set lower than the first load standard.
The processing start upon detection of the pressing input to the input unit 34 of the touch panel 30 by the user's finger or the like. It is assumed that a folder object is displayed on the display unit 32 at the start of the processing. When the input to the input unit 34 is detected in response to the pressing input to the input unit 34 at a position corresponding to a position of an object of the folder, the control unit 20 determines whether the load detection unit 40 has detected the pressure load changing from a state not satisfying the first load standard to a state satisfying it (step S31). In the flowchart of FIG. 6, “under→equal to or over the standard” represents “from a state not satisfying the standard to a state satisfying it”, for the sake of simplicity. Likewise, “equal to or over→under the standard” represents “from a state satisfying the standard to a state not satisfying it.”
At step S31, if the load detection unit 40 detects the pressure load changing from the state not satisfying the first load standard to the state satisfying it, the control unit 20 opens the folder (step S32). That is, the control unit 20 displays an icon (object) of a file and/or subfolder on one level below the folder to be open on the display unit 32. After opening the folder at step S32, the control unit 20 determines whether the load detection unit 40 has detected the pressure load changing from a state satisfying the second load standard, lower than the first load standard, to a state not satisfying it (step S33).
If the load detection unit 40 does not detect the pressure load changing from the state satisfying the second load standard, lower than the first load standard, to the state not satisfying it at step S33, the control unit 20 returns to step S31 to continue the processing. At this point, if a subfolder included in the open folder is displayed on the display unit 32, the input apparatus can receive an input by the user moving an input position to an object of the subfolder while the pressure load on the input unit 34 is being detected. In this case, if the pressure load changing from the state not satisfying the first load standard to the state satisfying it is detected at a position on the input unit 34 corresponding to the position of the object of the subfolder at step S31, the control unit 20 opens the subfolder at step S32. Capable of repeating such processing, this input apparatus allows the user to open subfolders on lower levels of a folder in a descending order.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the processing based on repetitive opening processing of the folders described above. FIG. 7 shows, in performing the processing described above, the temporal change in the pressure load to the input unit 34 of the touch panel 30 detected by the load detection unit 40 in a lower half, and a transition of the display of the display unit 32 associated with the temporal change in an upper half. In FIG. 7, the first load standard in the processing described above is represented by a “load standard P2”, whereas the second load standard is represented by a “load standard P1.”
FIG. 7(A) shows a state that the user gradually increases the pressure of a pressing input after touching the input unit 34 of the touch panel 30 with the finger or the like. In FIG. 7(A), a hatched object represents a folder corresponding to a position on the input unit 34 where the input is detected. When there is an object such as a folder or a file at the position on the input unit 34 where the input is detected as described above, the control unit 20, for example, colors the object in order to show the user that the input to the object is being detected. In FIG. 7(A), an arrow provided to the hatched folder indicates the input position where the input by the user's finger or the like is detected. It is possible to set either to display or hide such an object indicating the input position.
In FIG. 7(A), the user is pressing the folder at the upper left on the input unit 34 of the touch panel 30. If the pressure load on the input unit 34 changes from a state not satisfying the first load standard P2 to a state satisfying it while the user is pressing the folder (Yes of step S31), the control unit 20 opens the folder being pressed, as shown in FIG. 7(B) (step S32). It is assumed that the user then moves the position of the pressing input to a subfolder included in the open folder while pressing the input unit 34, pressing a position of the subfolder indicated by an arrow in FIG. 7(B) as a result. In this state, if the pressure load on the input unit 34 by the user changes from the state not satisfying the first load standard P2 to the state satisfying it again (Yes of step S31), the control unit 20 opens the subfolder being pressed, as shown in FIG. 7(C) (Step S32). By a similar operation, the user can subsequently open a folder in FIG. 7(C), as shown in FIG. 7(D).
It is also possible to select or execute a subfolder or a file included in the open folder in the states shown as FIG. 7(C) or (D), for example. In this case, the input apparatus receives an input moving the input position on the input unit 34 to an object of a folder or a file desired by the user while the pressure load satisfying the load standard P2 is maintained. After detection of the input moving the input position to the object of the subfolder or the file included in the open folder, the load detection unit 40 of the input apparatus receives the input to the object satisfying a pressure load set to be higher than the load standard P2. Upon detection of the input to the object satisfying the load standard higher than the load standard P2, the control unit 20 selects or executes the subfolder or the file associated with the object.
Meanwhile, if a pressure load changing from the state satisfying the second load standard, which is lower than the first load standard, to the state not satisfying it is detected at step S33, the control unit 20 controls to close the open folder on the display unit 32 (step S34). In this case, the control unit 20 controls to close the lowest folder among the open folders on the display unit 32. After step S34, the control unit 20 determines whether a pressing input to the input unit 34 is detected (step S35). The control unit 20 returns to step S31 to continue the processing if the pressing input is detected, otherwise ends the processing. As described above, since the mobile phone 10 allows the user to repeat the closing operation of the folder without removing the finger from the input unit 34 of the touch panel 30, the user can sequentially close the lowest folder to return to one higher-level folder. This input apparatus can receive the input with a pressure load changing from the state satisfying the load standard P1 to the state not satisfying it for closing the folder, either at the position of the object of the open folder or elsewhere.
FIG. 8 shows diagrams illustrating a specific example of the processing based on the repetitive closing processing of the folder described above. In FIG. 8 also, the second load standard described in the above processing is represented by the “load standard P1”, whereas the first load standard is represented by the “load standard P2.”
In FIG. 8(A), the display unit 32 displays three open folders. That is, contents of a first-level folder to a third-level folder are displayed in FIG. 8(A). At this point, if the pressure load on the input unit 34 of the touch panel 30 by the user changes from the state satisfying the second load standard P1 to the state not satisfying it (Yes of step S33), the control unit 20 closes the lowest (third-level) folder as shown in FIG. 8(B) (step S34). Then, if the pressure load on the input unit 34 changes from the state satisfying the second load standard P1 to the state not satisfying it again (Yes of step S33), the control unit 20 closes the lowest (second-level) folder, as shown in FIG. 8(C) (step S34). By a similar operation, the user can close a folder in FIG. 8(C), as shown in FIG. 8(D).
Accordingly, the mobile phone 10 eliminates the need to separately provide an icon specifically for closing a folder. In addition, the mobile phone 10 allows the user to open and close the folder by a simple and distinguishable operation. This input apparatus, therefore, enables simple, quick and reliable folder operations using the touch panel.
In addition, this input apparatus allows the user to continuously open and close folders by a sequence of smooth operations without removing the finger from the input unit 34 of the touch panel 30. It is to be noted that, upon detection of the pressure load on the input unit 34 changing from the state not satisfying the first load standard P2 to the state satisfying it at a position corresponding to an object of not a folder but a file, the control unit 20 performs processing to activate an application to open the file. Further, when the user closes a folder, this input apparatus can receive an input with the pressure load, changing from the state satisfying the second load standard P1 to the state not satisfying it, at any position of the input unit 34.